New poll: 60 percent of likely voters back legal cannabis

Support among Californians also high for same-sex marriage, immigration reform

A new study from the Public Policy Institute of California finds that, for the first time since it has polled the question, a majority of Californians now favor the outright legalization of marijuana.

In the wake of recent moves toward legalization in Colorado and Washington, 60 percent of 1102 likely voters surveyed said they would support a ballot measure for the regulation of cannabis. Just before voters went to the polls to consider Proposition 19, which would have done just that in 2010, the Institute found 51 percent support - the measure went on to lose, with only 46.5 percent support, barely within the survey’s 4.5 point margin of error. Support has since wavered in the 48 to 49 percent range.

The idea of legal marijuana drew more support among Democrats (64 percent) and independents (60 percent) than Republicans (45 percent). Even more telling, a full 68 percent of voters say the federal government should not interfere with implementation in states that have already passed legalization laws.

The study also found a record-high 67 percent of voters supportive of same-sex marriage and that 85 percent of Californians as a whole believe the federal government should establish a path to citizenship for those currently present in the country illegally.